The Police are to reform and play at next month's Grammy Awards, it has been confirmed.

Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers will reunite for the 49th annual awards, the biggest in the US music calendar.

Five-time Grammy winners, the Police never officially disbanded and performed together four years ago when they were inducted into The Rock Hall of Fame.

Rumours of a reunion had grown this year after Sting posted an announcement on his website acknowledging the upcoming 30th anniversary of a band which was among the biggest in the world during the early 1980s.

"Discussions have been underway as to how this will be commemorated," the website announced.

At the time it was simply promised that "something special" would be done to mark the occasion, although it now looks likely the reunion may be followed by the re-release of some of the band's back catalogue.